Disturbing
by Kirk Baldridge
Summary: Rachel and Ivy's relationship comes under fire from an unexpected source.


NAME: Kirk Baldridge

EMAIL: 

TITLE: _Disturbing_

DISCLAIMER: I don't own any of these characters, names, places, etc. They all belong to Kim Harrison, and I would just like to take this opportunity to thank her for creating them.

FANDOM: The Hollows

PAIRING: Rachel/Ivy

RATING: PG

SUMMARY: Rachel's new relationship with Ivy comes under fire from an unexpected source.

SPOILER: Set an unspecified amount of time after _FOR A FEW DEMONS MORE_ and my previous story, _LOVE AND VAMPIRES_.

Rachel Morgan sat at Ivy's computer, hands poised over the keyboard, trying to remember what the hell her password was so she could check her e-mail. She hadn't looked at it in a while and it occurred to her there might be some important information lurking around in cyberspace, a place she was neither familiar nor comfortable with entering.

"Screw it."

The sun had gone down two hours before, and she still had spells she needed to stir. She pushed her chair away from Ivy's computer, stood up, and stretched. The church was unusually quiet. Except for Rex, asleep on Ivy's chair, she was alone. Matalina was resting in the stump and the kids had decided to stand guard around it, while Jenks and Ivy were out on a run. It wasn't supposed to be anything serious but Ivy had taken her sword, and she didn't usually do that if she didn't think she might need to use it. Unless she simply wanted it for the intimidation factor, which Rachel found amusing, since Ivy was pretty damn intimidating all by herself.

Ivy Tamwood. Her lover. Rachel was still getting used to that idea, yet she knew it was right because holding Ivy, kissing her, hell, just looking at her, warmed the Witch to her soul in a way she hadn't felt since Kisten. Her expression grew wistful at the thought of the other living vampire. His death still hurt her and Ivy both, but she remembered him telling her once that if she had to end up with anyone but him he hoped it would be Ivy. Of course, he always followed it up with talk of a three way, so she had never been sure how serious he was; about the first part, she'd always been certain he was absolutely serious about the second.

Rachel sighed. "I need some coffee." She was heading to the kitchen when the front doorbell rang. She glanced at the clock. Not too late for a potential client, but close. They had no official hours, people needing help usually just called or showed up, but Ivy and Jenks' run was the first one they'd gotten all week. More cash would be welcome. That was assuming it even was a client, of course, it could just as easily be Ceri or David, coming for a visit. The doorbell rang again. '_Why don't you answer it and find out, Rachel?_' The fact her own inner voice was snapping at her made the Witch blush, and she opened the door. "Hello, welcome to Vampiric…"

The sight of the woman standing there froze Rachel's in her tracks. She was tall and thin, solidly built, with attractive yet unremarkable features and a silent intensity that no doubt made her the center of attention. Shoulder-length, inky black straight hair perfectly contrasted her alabaster skin. She was wearing a long black dress and tiny black shoes.

She smiled, not quite showing her teeth. "Good evening."

Rachel had been around enough vampires to immediately recognize this woman as one. She couldn't be sure if she was living or undead, but there was one way to find out. "Good evening. Would you like to come in?" The woman's dark eyes gazed up and around the doorway, before settling back on the Witch with an uncomfortable stillness. '_She knows this part of the church is sanctified. Definitely undead._' This wasn't a problem; they had taken undead clients before. "I'm terribly sorry, ma'am. If you'd like to come around back, we have a separate meeting area set aside for those who find the sanctity of the church…uncomfortable."

The woman inclined her head, slightly. "Very well."

When Rachel arrived at the kitchen door, the undead woman was waiting for her. She glided inside and looked around, the barely checked contempt in her black eyes unmistakable. Five seconds in and she had already determined this place was beneath her. Her clothing wasn't off the rack, it was name brand, tailored, and very expensive, but nothing compared to the diamonds she wore around her neck and on several of her fingers, which probably cost more than Rachel made in a year.

"We have an unsanctified sitting area off to the side here if you would be more comfortable." Rachel had the distinct impression she knew this woman from somewhere, though she was sure they had never met.

"It will suffice." Just like that, the witch's whole way of life had been dismissed. The vampire focused her sin-black eyes on Rachel, who felt a cold stab of ingrained terror only an undead could provoke.

Rachel's heart beat a mile a minute. '_Crap on toast. She's pulling an aura._' She cleared her throat. "Ma'am, this is my home, and I would appreciate it if you kept the attempted mind control to a minimum." She tried not to sound as worried as she felt. Living vampires like Ivy were only able to bespell people who were willing, while the undead could do it to almost anyone whose mind was not strong enough to resist them outright. Anyone with an unclaimed vamp scar, like Rachel, was putty in their hands.

The vampire chuckled. "You do have courage. Perhaps there is more to you than first meets the eye." She dismissively looked the witch up and down. "Though I suppose there would have to be."

Rachel was insulted, and getting angry. She considered tapping the ley line behind the church, just in case, but this woman might be able to sense it and feel threatened. '_If she's just a rich bitch, I can let it go._' She took a moment to center herself and rein in her emotions, lest she set the undead's instincts off. "What exactly can Vampiric Charms do for you?"

"I am not looking to be one of your clients, Ms. Morgan."

Rachel frowned. "Then why are you here?"

In a blur of speed, the vampire grabbed Rachel by the throat. She wasn't squeezing enough to do any real harm but the witch could barely breath. "For you, child." She bared her fangs as she smiled. "All for you."

Ivy Tamwood climbed onto her motorcycle and reached for her helmet.

"Hurry up, insect!"

Jenks was talking to Glenn, whose F.I.B. clean up squad was dealing with the group of Weres and living vamps who had been threatening the local business owners. One of them had come to Vampiric Charms for help, because they thought as Piscary's former scion Ivy would have influence over the vampires, who in turn could wrangle the Weres. In fact, her presence had led to a rather impressive brawl that spread over several city blocks, and though she didn't kill anyone, Ivy's sword got quite a workout.

"Thirty seconds and I'm leaving without you!" Ivy's cell phone rang. "Hello?"

"Ivy, dear, it's your father."

"Hi dad." Ivy blinked. Something was wrong. He didn't like using the telephone. "What's happened?" The elder vampire was silent for a few moments and Ivy paled. Okay, really wrong. "Dad?"

"It's your mother, Ivy."

Several possibilities flashed through Ivy's mind. Had her mother finally had enough of being undead? Even with the support and love of their living family, many undead eventually lost the desire to go on. She could have hurt herself, or someone else. Most likely, she was just pissed off about something. She was always pissed off about something. "What did she do?"

"She's gone."

Ivy suddenly felt cold. "What?"

"She's gone."

Ivy closed her eyes and took a deep, cleansing breath. She had actually been expecting this. A buzzing passed by her ear and felt Jenks land on her shoulder. "She walked out into the sun, didn't she?"

"What? Oh, God, no Ivy. No. I'm sorry. No, she's still up and about. That's the problem."

Ivy's relief was colored by concern. "I don't understand."

"I fed her, shortly before sundown as usual, and lay down to rest. When I woke, the sun had set, her door was open, and her room was empty. No one seems to have seen her leave either."

This sort of thing happened quite frequently after she first died. Blood and wander lust sent her out after something she couldn't really understand nearly every sunset. But once her husband assured her of a constant source of blood, his own, and kept her informed of events in the outside world, Ivy's mother generally had very little interest in leaving her home. It would have taken something pretty significant. Ivy nodded. "Okay, I'll start looking. Do you have any idea what might have set her off this time?"

"Not really. We were discussing you and your witch, and…"

Ivy stopped him. "Wait, dad. You know about me and Rachel?" On her shoulder, Jenks perked up. She knew the pixie could hear her father's side of the conversation as well as her own. Her mother never liked any of the women she dated. She had been fond Kisten, and was angry when the two of them broke up. She and Rachel had only been together, really together, for a few days, and she had only mentioned it to her sister Erica, who most likely told their father, who told their mother. "How did she take it?"

"Well, you know your mother. Her biggest concern even before dying was always the continuation of the Tamwood line, which she sees as threatened by any relationship you have which cannot result in children."

That was why Ivy had never introduced her to Rachel. '_Oh God, Rachel. Please be on sanctified ground._' She started the engine and, with a nod, told Jenks to settle into the collar of her jacket. "Dad, I have to go."

"I know, dear. Be careful."

Rachel was scared, angry, and confused.

The vampire's speed didn't surprise her; she had witnessed plenty of it firsthand. The hand around her throat did worry her, and she was angry at herself for getting into this position in her own home, but she didn't understand why the woman wasn't biting her, or breaking her in half, or any of the other horrible things an undead could do with little more than a thought.

Instead, she was just standing there, holding her off her feet, and staring at her.

"Who…are…you…?"

The vampire suddenly released her and took a step back. "You don't know?" She cocked her head while Rachel gently massaged her bruised throat. "I think I should be insulted."

Rachel tapped the line. "If you want a fight, fine, but will you at least tell me why?"

"I have no wish to fight you." The vampire's nose twitched. "You are afraid. Of me?" Her black eyes began to swirl as she released pheromones designed to calm her prey and prepare them for the feeding. Rachel, in spite of herself, quickly succumbed, and was just glad she had been able to spindle the ley line energy first, though it would do her little good in this state. "Good." She grinned. "Perhaps this will put you in a better mood to discuss your intentions toward my daughter."

Rachel's was even more confused. Her daughter? '_Who is this crazy ass…_' Her face fell. '…w_ait. That hair, those cheekbones…oh crap! I knew she looked familiar." _It was Ivy's mother. It had to be. The one being in the world, besides Piscary, Ivy had ever been afraid of. '_And she wants to know what my intentions toward Ivy are? Oh, this day just keeps getting better._' The witch cleared her throat. '_Damn, this is not a conversation I'm looking forward to._' "Ms. Tamwood, I'm not sure what you mean."

"You are fucking my daughter, are you not?"

The crude word seemed oddly inappropriate coming from this elegant woman, and Rachel was momentarily flustered. '_Okay._' She shook her head. "Ma'am, I'm not sure that's any of your business."

"Not my business?" The elder Tamwood's whole body began trembling. "My daughter…the last living member of my family line…the only one left who can carry on the Tamwood name…is slumming around with some low bred witch who cannot give her any children…and you have the nerve to say it is NOT MY BUSINESS?!"

Now Rachel was getting pissed. Ivy's mother or not, she wasn't about to stand here and let herself be insulted in her own kitchen. She glanced toward one of her hanging spell pots, which held her splat gun. Ivy might get upset if she shot her mother, but it was better than seeing how much ley line energy it took to bring an undead down. '_I'm beginning to see where Ivy gets her stubbornness._' She steeled her resolve. "Ms. Tamwood, I'm trying to be a good host here, but don't push me."

"Arrogant little witch!" The vampire darted forward and drove both outstretched palms into Rachel's chest. The impact drove her back into the wall and forced all the air out of her lungs. She slid to the ground; stunned and hurting. "You are the one who bested Piscary?" She laughed angrily. "He must have been weaker than I thought." She entwined her strong, bony fingers in Rachel's hair and lifted her up to eye level. "Perhaps I should look deeper, to see what it is my daughter finds so appealing?" She licked her lips, fangs dripping. "Mm…redwood. It has been quite some time since I last tasted a witch."

Rachel was vaguely aware of an engine off in the distance. Her head was spinning, both from hitting the wall and the vampire pheromones filling the air. In her dazed state, a long ago overcome fear resurfaced, and a less than humorous thought occurred to her. Apparently, a Tamwood really was going to kill her after all. '_Ivy…I love you…_'

"Mother! NO!" Ivy's cry shocked both of them, and two sets of eyes turned to the beautiful living vampire. "Mother, let her go, please, let her go." She was crying. "Please, don't do this to me. Let her go."

The elder Tamwood blinked. "Ivy?" She dropped Rachel and glided toward her daughter. "Why are you crying?" It had to be somewhat confusing for her. The undead woman knew she loved her daughter, she just couldn't remember why, and was unable to make the connection between what she had been doing and the effect it had on Ivy. "Don't cry."

Rachel felt relieved now that Ivy was here. She knew better than anyone how to deal with a wild card like…Ms. Tamwood. '_Damn it, I have to remember to ask her what the woman's name is._' They had never talked about it.

Ivy wiped her eyes. "Thank you, mother." She smiled at Rachel, who nodded. "Thank you. I love her. Do you understand that? I don't want you to hurt her, because I love her so much. Like you do father, remember?"

"Father?" The elder Tamwood blinked. "Yes, my husband. He gave me you, and your sister." Her eyes narrowed. "But she…" She turned to point at Rachel. "…cannot give you children. Our line will end with you, Ivy."

Ivy shook her head. "It doesn't have to. There are other ways for me to have children, mother. Just because I am with a woman does not mean our family line has to end. Trust me. Please. I can handle this."

"What if you die?" The elder Tamwood no longer seemed angry, but very serious. "Before you find one of these other ways? You can make more of us then, but they will not be true Tamwoods."

"I know, mother! God!" Ironically, now Ivy was the one becoming angry. "I'm not going to just grab some willing vampire and let him knock me up just so our precious family name can continue! I love Rachel Morgan, and if that's not good enough for you, then for fuck's sake, name Erica your successor and leave me the hell alone!"

Rachel paled. '_Uh oh._' She didn't need to be a vampire to sense the change in the air. The elder Morgan's black eyes narrowed, and Ivy took a step back. She was scared again, for herself this time. '_Ivy, no!_' She thought again of her splat gun. If she was going to get it, this was as good an opportunity as any. Except, her head was still ringing, and her breath came a little force. She was pretty sure at least a couple of her ribs had been bruised. '_Wonderful._' Ivy was, for the moment, on her own.

Ivy slowly brought her hands up, palms outstretched and open to show she was not being threatening. "Mother, please, calm down. I'm sorry I snapped at you. Please, let's talk about this rationally."

"Oh my child." In the blink of an eye, the elder Tamwood was holding Ivy's supple shoulders in an icy grip. "Why talk?" Without another word, she sank her teeth into her wide-eyed and terrified daughter's neck.

Rachel fought through her pain, and the dwindling haze of the vampire aura, and lurched to her feet.

'_Ivy! No!_' She didn't think the elder Tamwood would actually kill her daughter, at least not intentionally, but she couldn't just sit here and watch her lover be hurt. Although her legs threatened to give out with each step, she made her way to a specific spell pot and drew out her splat gun. Dizzy, she aimed it at the undead's back. "Let her go!"

Ivy's mother pulled her red-stained mouth from her daughter's neck and jerked her head around, snarling. "Witch!" She dropped Ivy and took a step toward Rachel. "I can taste it in her blood. Her thoughts. I see her love for you. It hurts." Her sin-black eyes burned their way right into Rachel's soul, who inwardly swore, as she was once again unable to move. "You hurt my daughter!" Howling, she threw herself at the helpless witch, casually swatting the gun out of her hands. "You will die for what you have done!"

"NOW!"

A swarm of multi-colored lights darted into the room and began swirling around Ivy's mother. She swatted uselessly at them as her face and shoulders were blanketed in waves of soothing dust. In time, her movements became more lethargic, eyelids drooping, and she sank to her knees, conscious, but no longer interested in fighting.

"Stand down!"

The pixy children flew away from the vampire and back to Jenks and Matalina, who were hovering in the kitchen doorway. Ivy had told Jenks what was happening on their way home, and he had gone to check on his family as soon as they arrived. Once he knew they were okay, they all offered to help. "Matty, take the kids back to the stump. I'm going to stay here and help Rachel and Ivy." His wife nodded, kissed him on the cheek, and whistled for the children to follow.

Jenks flew to Rachel first. "Crap on toast. You okay, Rache?"

"I-I'm fine." She wasn't, of course, but she was better off than her lover. "Check on Ivy."

Nodding, Jenks did just that. Ivy lay on her side in a pool of her own blood. She was conscious, just, but unable to move anything more than her eyes, which focused on Jenks. "Take it easy, Ivy." He dusted her wound, soothing the pain. "You'll be okay." He flew back to Rachel, his voice low and worried. "It's bad. She'll live, but she's going to need blood."

Rachel nodded. "I'll take care of it." She glared at the elder Tamwood, who was staring blankly off into space. That much pixy dust would take even an undead quite some time to overcome. "What do we do with her?"

"We'll take care of her." In the kitchen doorway now stood Ivy's sister, Erica, and their father. She looked annoyed, he relieved. "Dad, you get mom to the car. I'm going to check on V." She kneeled beside Ivy, while he put his arms around the dazed undead and helped her to her feet. "Jeez, V, what were you thinking? You of all people should know better than to try to talk mom down when she gets like this." She glanced appreciatively at Rachel's splat gun. "Your witch had the right idea. You would've been better off knocking her out." Shaking her head, she drew a small knife from the pocket of her jeans and brought it to her wrist.

Rachel reached out to her. "Wait." Erica turned. "I'm sorry. Maybe this is a family thing, but I want to do it."

"Are you sure?" Erica scanned the witch, her warm brown eyes widening. "Looks like you took quite a hit." She was calmer and less verbose than usual. Part of it was no doubt because of her mother but vampires also had a tendency to "go nice" when they were around the sick or injured. "Blood loss on top of everything else is probably not a good idea."

Rachel nodded. "I know. But I love her, and I want to do this for her."

From outside, a car horn honked. Erica's face fell. "Sounds like mom's starting to come around."

"Tinks contractual hell!" Jenks rose, his wings flashing. "Already? That much dust should have kept her out all night."

Erica chuckled. "You obviously don't have much experience with the undead." She smiled sadly at Rachel. "I'm glad you're here for her. Go ahead if you want, but you better keep an eye on her, pixy. In this state, Ivy's going to take all she can get, and if Rachel passes out, she won't be able to tell her to stop." The horn honked again. "See you." With that, she was gone.

Rachel crawled to Ivy's side, and then gazed up at Jenks. "Are you sure you're up for this?"

"I'll do what I can. If you do pass out, how do I know when to step in?"

"Normally, passing out itself would be enough of a sign, but Erica is right. I doubt I'll last long." Rachel chewed on her lower lip. "Watch our auras. You'll see them caressing, and then they'll merge. Once that happens, Ivy is pulling at full strength. That should mean she's had enough and you can do…whatever it is you're going to do, okay?"

Jenks nodded. "Merging auras? Crap on toast! You never told me that, Rache."

"What?" Rachel wondered if the pixy knew something she didn't.

"Never mind. I'll be ready."

Rachel wrote herself a mental note to grill the pixy later, and reached down to stroke Ivy's cheek. She winced when she saw the raw, nasty tears the undead had made. Ivy's tired, vaguely almond eyes met hers. "Love, it's me. You've been hurt. You need blood." She turned her head so Ivy could see the pulse in her neck. "Take mine. I offer it freely. Take it, please."

After a moment's hesitation, or perhaps simply a gathering of her strength, Ivy lurched up. She grabbed Rachel's shoulders and sank her teeth into the witch's never quite healed old scars. They both shuddered. Within seconds, the redhead's throaty moans ceased, her eyes rolled back in her head, and she slumped bonelessly into Ivy's arms. Groaning, the vampire bit deeper, filling her core with the hot, life-giving essence of the woman she loved most in the world, and their auras surged.

Jenks looked on in rapt amazement. He had never seen anything like this. The pixy was so enthralled he almost overlooked the fact it was becoming more and more difficult to tell the two separate auras apart. "Tinks' panties!" He flew forward and tossed a huge wave of pixy dust right in Ivy's face. She pulled her mouth away from Rachel's neck and sneezed. "Snap out of it, Tamwood!" He knew she could hear him; it was just a matter of getting through the bloodlust to the woman inside. "Feeding time is over."

Ivy blinked. "Jenks?" Her black eyes began to lighten as she licked her lips. "What's going on?" Only then did she realize Rachel was in her arms and was unconscious. "Oh God! Jenks! What did I do?"

"It's okay, Ivy." He could tell by the trembling in her voice and aura the living vampire was horrified. "She wanted you to. You were hurt remember, by your mother? You needed blood and Rachel insisted Erica let her give it to you."

Ivy fought back tears as the whole awful event replayed in her mind. "My mother, Erica, where are they?"

"She and your father are taking your mother back home. Everything is fine, Ivy."

Ivy stroked Rachel's face and sobbed. "No Jenks, it's not." Tears flowed freely now. "It's really not."

Rachel awoke to the comforting warmth of an arm draped across her midsection.

She opened her eyes to find Ivy curled up by her side, looking utterly relaxed. It was, in fact, the only time the living vampire ever truly seemed at peace, and sometimes she just enjoyed watching Ivy sleep.

'_Is she okay?_' Rachel gently touched the bandage on Ivy's neck.

That small movement was enough to rouse Ivy, who shot up with a worried expression her face. "Are you okay?"

'_Her own mother nearly killed her and she's worried about me?_' Rachel smiled. "I'm fine. Are you?"

Ivy rested her head in her hands. "I'm so sorry, Rachel."

"For what?"

Ivy seemed perplexed by the question. "My mother trying to kill you, and my nearly finishing the job?" She tapped the bandage on Rachel's neck and the witch flinched. "Any of this ringing a bell?"

Rachel leaned in and kissed her vampire. "Listen to me. What happened with your mother was in no way your fault, Ivy. As for you biting me, I'm the one who told you to, remember? It's okay. I love you and I trust you."

"That's all well and good, but you were unconscious, Rachel. You had no way of making me stop."

"Yes I did," Rachel replied. "Jenks."

Ivy lost herself in wondrous pools of green and sighed. '_My god she's beautiful._' It was impossible to argue with someone you kept imagining yourself kissing. "You are one crazy witch, you know that?"

"Yeah." Rachel put her arms around Ivy's neck, careful to avoid her bandage. "But it's worked out okay for me so far."

The ensuing kiss eventually brought both of them back down to the bed.

THE END


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